How steep and long is Checkers ? From what little I saw on the coverage it was steeper than Fox Creek, but shorter ?

I guess that apart from Checkers Hill, is this stage classed as a "Rolling" stage ??

Stolen from Adelaide Cyclist ;

Just checked out Hillclimbr.com and they have two Checker Hill Climbs. They have described the two climbs as front and back. The back side is 1.2 km at 9 percent whereas the front is 600 metres at an average 14 percent. Torrens Hill Road would compare very similar to the longer back side of Checkers to give you an idea of what the easier side is like. Lucky the steeper side is only 600 metres (more or less straight up:)

I can imagine seeing a lot of people walking their bikes up Checker Hill. At the brutality only lasts for about 1km rather than the 30km Milang stretch this year. I know most of the roads until Mt Barker so I might start to do some training around Mt Barker->Meadows-Strathalbyn. I wonder why it's so short this year though, and why do we always have to go up Gorge Rd. It's not a bad ride but there are other ways into the hills. Maybe Greenhill Rd next year.

Sumichino wrote:I can imagine seeing a lot of people walking their bikes up Checker Hill.

early prediction: mayhem all the way up Checker Hill as riders struggle and untidily dismount while others try to ride a few more metres before they too sucumb. Checker Hill was used once in the very early years of the TDU, but I think it is a poor choice for a KOM for the majority of the participants now riding this event.

Wont be entering the ride next year....the 2010 fiasco and the 2009 jersey debarcle were enough for me to put my $130 entry fee into a ride that received rave reviews (Ride Like Crazy). Having said that me and a few mates are still planning on riding the route with the masses as far as Hahndorf or Meadows, pulling in for a few quiet ales and watch the pros zip by, before a relaxing ride back to Adelaide. All the benefits of doing the ride but without all the hassles of wrong sized jerseys, hanging around in ques for bag drop, toilet, start line etc at the start, wandering around at the finish trying to find food/water/bag pickup and no hassles trying to car pool to get home. We also wont need to feel like we are relying on imaginary water stops and two banana food rations.

We need to arrange some training rides so that those of us (read me) who are going to struggle up checker hill can get some miles into the legs early enough to make a difference.If anyone wants to start up a regular weekend or after work training ride for this somewhere around the hills or gorge rd I'd be up for it (even coming over from Goodwood).

Does anyone know the elevation/gradient of Education Rd at Happy Valley? Its not far from me and not a long climb but quite steep, i wonder if it would be a good training run for Checkers...Wish I was still riding my Giant with a Compact Triple Gruppo..... On Oppy it will be 53/25 all the way

This is going to be a lot like a some of the hills in the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Specifically the Koppenberg. A short steep hill where the front of the peloton sprints to the bottom of the climb in order to get to the best position. It may not be cobbled or wet but a lot of the other characteristics are similar.

Sumichino wrote:This is going to be a lot like a some of the hills in the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Specifically the Koppenberg. A short steep hill where the front of the peloton sprints to the bottom of the climb in order to get to the best position. It may not be cobbled or wet but a lot of the other characteristics are similar.

on the other hand, and without wanting to be too sanctimonious about it, IT ISN'T A RACE. If you want to race get a license and do it properly. Many of the problems I've seen on the TDU rides (done all but 2) are caused by riders who think they're hotfoot racers.

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